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Mostly MLB Notes: Talking Nolan Arenado and a look around the league
Nolan Arenado has been the No. 1 overall fantasy player over the past month, and it’s not even close. He’s scored in 12 consecutive games, totaling 17 runs, eight homers and 17 RBI over those dozen contests. Arenado is on pace to finish with 53 homers, 105 runs scored and 147 RBI while batting .293. The crazy thing about his season is that the third baseman is hitting better on the road (1.028 OPS) than at Coors Field (.890) as well as against right handers (.989) opposed to southpaws (.833). The fact Arenado doesn’t walk (4.4 BB%) or strike out (13.8%) much might actually help his counting stats and therefore his fantasy value. It’s too bad he doesn’t steal bases (although he is terrific defensively), but his .266 BABIP sure looks unlucky, especially considering Coors Field has increased batting average by 17 percent over the past three seasons, which is 11% more than the next best park. Arenado is clearly a star and might very well only get better moving forward. He’s still just 24 years old. Only health can prevent Arenado from being a first round fantasy pick next year.
Here’s Key & Peele with a pre-game pump-up.
Please remove the cat before the flight.
This is what happens when you park in a handicap spot in Brazil.
Here’s why you don’t harass the Queen’s guard.
Quick Hits: Brett Gardner is on pace to finish with 19 homers, 124 runs scored, 83 RBI and 32 steals while batting .300. He’s been a top-10 fantasy player this season...Despite a 0.91 GB/FB rate, Ian Kinsler’s homer Thursday was just his second of the year...Roberto Osuna has a strong fastball (95.1 mph average velocity) and sure looks like he’s Toronto’s new closer. Maybe the team trades for Jonathan Papelbon later on, but it’s crazy Osuna is owned in fewer than 25% of Yahoo leagues right now. Go pick him up...Steven Matz had the most RBI (four) Sunday by a pitcher making his debut in the history of MLB. He looked pretty competent while on the mound as well. The Mets are so loaded with young starters it’s ridiculous...According to Fangraphs, Brandon Crawford has been the best offensive shortstop this season by a wide margin...Dallas Keuchel has a 1.39 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 64.2 innings at home this season, whereas Drew Hutchison owns an 8.92 ERA and 1.93 WHIP on the road...Since winning the Cy Young in 2012, R.A. Dickey has allowed the most home runs in major league baseball (and seven more than the next closest)...This Josh Donaldson catch is probably the best of the year so far...Clayton Kershaw has lost three straight starts for the first time in his career, matching his total for losses all of last season. He’s 5-6 on the year and hasn’t won since June 6 despite posting a 39:6 K:BB ratio over 26.2 innings over that span.
Headlines of the Week: Naked Man Screams ‘I’m On Fire’; Pours Milk On Himself In Superstore...A New Male Contraceptive Is Finally Here And It Could Change Your Life Forever...42-Year-Old Man With 29 Miley Cyrus Tattoos Wants To Get Them Removed After Singer Called Them Ugly...Humans, Neanderthals Interbred In Europe...Chilean Woman Carried Calcified Fetus For 50 Years...Flying 5 Foot Circular Saw Tears Through Chinese Man’s Car On Motorway...New Jersey Couple Sues Over Dream Home That Came With Creepy, Threatening Letters From ‘The Watcher’...A Porcupine Meal Makes For A Very Bad Python Day...Kim Jong-un Executed Airport Architect Because He Hated The Design...Guy Beats ‘Super Mario World’ In 23 Minutes While Blindfolded.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Curtis Granderson has five homers and a steal over his past eight games, raising his OPS 94 points over that span. After an extremely slow start to his Mets career, Granderson has 23 home runs over the past calendar year, the same amount as Ryan Braun and five more than Freddie Freeman...Zack Greinke has allowed one run or fewer in nine of his last 11 starts (and just two in another), yet his win Sunday was his first since this stretch started back on May 5. Greinke hasn’t allowed a run over his past three starts (20.2 innings) and sports a 1.58 ERA on the season. His strikeout numbers aren’t overwhelming, but he’s a Cy Young candidate nevertheless....Here’s Brandon Phillips starting a really nice double play before he later hit a game-winning homer in the 13th inning of Thursday’s game...Danny Santana has a hideous 49:5 K:BB ratio this year, but he’s back up in Minnesota and hit .319 with seven homers and 20 steals over just 101 games last season. He could be looking at regular playing time while Byron Buxton is out, so he’s an option for those desperate for shortstop help...This play by Devon Travis was pretty sick...Tyson Ross is having a bizarre year, as his 3.53 GB/FB ratio, 25.4 K% and 13.2 SwStr% are all career highs, while his 11.6 BB% is a career worst. He’s seemingly been unlucky in BABIP (.346) yet fortunate in HR/FB% (6.7), especially considering how Petco Park has played this season. The control needs to improve, but with a 1.45 WHIP and a 5-7 record, Ross seems like a possible buy-low candidate.
Police Blotter: Groom, 6 Arrested When Drunken Brawl Breaks Out At Wed...Man Tried To Smuggle Oxycodone Hidden Inside McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger To Jailed Wife...Man Goes Berserk On Plane Over Nuts...Man Poisoned Co-worker’s Water With Roundup Weed Killer To ‘Mess With him’...Bank Robber Busted After He Stops For Biscuits...Man Who Allegedly Licked Toad Arrested For Trespassing...Blind, 75-Year-Old Man Found Decapitated; Suspect Made Off With Still Missing Head...Man Points Gun At Clerk Because Bathroom Was Out Of Order.
Longread(s) of the Week: Two Lanes To Accokeek (I highly recommend this) and here’s a bonus shorter one: USWNT Stars Morgan Brian And Meghan Klingenberg Are Living With Jeff Van Gundy.
Quick Hits Part Tres: Stephen Strasburg has clearly looked better during his two starts since returning from the DL, albeit against weak lineups. He’s utilizing his fastball differently while posting a 15:2 K:BB ratio over 12.0 innings. There are encouraging signs Strasburg pitches like most expected him to all along from here on out...Roughned Odor has a homer and two steals over his past three games and has raised his OPS 128 points since getting recalled two weeks ago. Odor doesn’t look like a future star, but fantasy owners dealing with injuries should add him as middle infield help...This play ended Nick Markakis’ streak of an MLB-record 398 consecutive games without an error....I used to be a Marco Estrada fan, but I have to say I’m shocked he’s had this success as someone previously so homer-prone joining the A.L. East...Here’s the new HR derby format...Over the past month, Kevin Pillar has been the No. 12 fantasy player. He’s owned in just 59% of Yahoo leagues...Matt Duffy has been the No. 21 fantasy player over the past month, is eligible at 2B and SS and is even hitting third in the Giants’ lineup at times, yet he’s owned in just 31% of Yahoo leagues. He has a 2.2 WAR this season, whereas Pablo Sandoval’s is -0.6. The latter is making slightly more money...Tough loss for owners of Giancarlo Stanton, who’s Hard% (49.7) was easily the best in MLB (next best is Brandon Belt at 44.1%)...Over the last 10 games, Jason Heyward is batting .410 with four homers, eight runs scored, nine RBI and two steals, when he’s been the No. 5 fantasy player.
